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The best setting spray should feel weightless on the face, while still delivering a host of beauty benefits. From priming skin for a smooth, even makeup application to keeping foundation looking fresh even hours after it’s applied, you can rely on the makeup artist staple to ensure a long-wear, smudge-free complexion without the need for touch-ups.
Below, find Vogue’s edit of the best setting sprays for priming and setting a flawless makeup look, all the while hydrating and soothing the skin.
Why we love it: Formulated with aromatic resin to give the complexion a camera-ready appearance, the weightless spray holds makeup in place for up to 16 hours.
Why we love it: As its name suggests, the soothing, lavender-scented spray doesn’t just set makeup. It also acts as a protective shield, guarding the skin against damage from blue light and pollution.
Why we love it: Formulated for dry skin, the silky mist soothes and hydrates the face while giving makeup a boost of luminosity.
ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr
On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray
Why we love it: With witch hazel to absorb excess oil and green tea extract to tighten pores, the spray gives the skin a blurred, matte finish.
Continuous Prep & Set Setting Mist+
Why we love it: Formulated with ceramides and electrolytes, the fine mist hydrates the skin and improves its elasticity while sealing makeup in with a luminous finish.
Prep + Prime Fix+ Primer and Setting Spray
Why we love it: This multipurpose spray refreshes the skin and gives makeup a pearlescent glow. Available in rose, coconut, or lavender scents, it also perks up the spirit with a touch of aromatherapy.
Why we love it: This ultra-fine mist gives skin a soft-focus finish and ups the ante on makeup’s staying power; should you wish to keep your glam intact for a full 24 hours, this water-resistant formula will help you achieve it.
All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
Why we love it: Waterproof and transfer-resistant, the spray relieves you of the need for makeup touch-ups—even on long and leisurely pool days.
Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Prime & Set Mist
Why we love it: Infused with niacinamide and sodium hyaluronate, the multitasking mist gives skin a plumper, smoother appearance. Plus, a soothing blend of botanicals calms the complexion.
Why we love it: Add this to the packing list for your next tropical getaway. The long-lasting spray prevents makeup from smudging or budging for up to 16 hours, even in hot and humid environments. It also has a cooling effect on the skin.
Why we love it: Ideal for oily skin, the niacinamide-enriched spray locks makeup into place with a matte finish that makes the skin appear poreless.
The POREfessional: Super Setter Pore-Minimizing Setting Spray
Why we love it: The hydrating spray has a blurring effect on the skin, wiping away any trace of pores and giving makeup a fresh, just-applied effect for up to 16 hours.
Why we love it: Formulated with ingredients that leave the skin bouncy and hydrated, the lightweight mist extends makeup’s wear and gives it a natural-looking finish. According to the brand, it’s also passed a “sauna sweat test,” staying intact through a whole high-temp session.
Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray
Why we love it: Packed with hydrating coconut water, the spray works equally well as a primer and a setting spray. Plus, mist it on at any point to feel refreshed.
“A setting spray is a spray that prolongs longevity to makeup, and acts like a sealant,” says makeup artist Natalie Dresher, who works with social media personalities like Dylan Mulvaney and Remi Bader. “It works by spraying a mixture of polymers and water to the face, preserving the makeup and setting it in place on the face.” Dresher’s go-to setting sprays are Cover FX High Performance Setting Spray for all skin types and One/Size by Patrick Starrr On ‘Til Dawn Waterproof Setting Spray for clients without sensitive skin.
“You have to know your objective for setting spray before making your selection,” says makeup artist and brand founder Jenny Patinkin. “Looking for keywords like ‘dewy,’ ‘oil control,’ ‘waterproof,’ or ‘lasting’ will help you get to the right formula for your desired outcome. There are also setting sprays that are marketed as protection from blue light.”
How do you know if a setting spray is working as it should? “In general, the spray should not feel drying, or make your skin feel itchy and taut,” says celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose, whose clients include Lily Gladstone and Lupita Nyong’o. “Your makeup should look fresh, and never dull, once the mist settles.”
“My favorite way to apply a setting spray is in a snowflake motion—up and down, in an X formation, and horizontally across the face—to ensure 100% of the face has been sprayed,” Dresher notes. She advises using a setting spray as the “very last step” of a makeup routine, though other facial sprays can be used at various points throughout the day to freshen up skin and makeup.
Alternatively, a setting spray can be used for targeted shine control. “I like to apply a mattifying setting spray to one of my damp Jenny Patinkin Green Tea Makeup Sponges, and then gently press it into the T-zone, only where oil and shine control is needed,” Patinkin shares.
“Setting spray is for anyone who knows that they need extra long wear time or wants their makeup to look perfect in any weather condition,” Patinkin says. “I use it more in the summer to protect makeup from melting off in heat and humidity, and I always recommend it for brides and bridal parties so that their makeup looks perfect in photos from start to finish.”
Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, setting sprays and finishing sprays do have some differences. “Setting sprays create a barrier to help your makeup last longer,” says film and television makeup artist Vasilios Tanis, who has worked with Sydney Sweeney, Dakota Johnson, and Jennifer Coolidge. “They can save you time as you’ll need fewer touch-ups.” Some of his go-to setting sprays include Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray and Hourglass Veil Setting Spray.
On the other hand, Tanis says: “Finishing sprays provide more emollients to moisten the skin and create a dewy look, with or without makeup. They can also be used as a skin revitalizer—a pick-me-up for your skin.” His skin-rejuvenating picks include Lotion Yon-Ka Phyto-Aromatic Treatment Mist and Byroe Hibiscus Tea Glow Mist.
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